Philadelphia Flyers Terminate Ryan Johansen’s Contract Due To “Material Breach”

The Philadelphia Flyers have placed forward Ryan Johansen on unconditional waivers with the intent of terminating his contract due to a “material breach.”

The team made the announcement on Tuesday, stating they would not be providing further comment on the matter.

Johansen, 32, never played a game for the Flyers after being acquired in a March 6 trade with the Colorado Avalanche.

The trade involved sending defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick to Colorado, with the Flyers also receiving a conditional first-round pick in 2025.

Upon his arrival in Philadelphia, Johansen was placed on waivers the same day but was unable to be assigned to the American Hockey League (AHL) due to an injury.

General manager Danny Briere addressed the situation in a March 17 interview, explaining that the team was surprised by Johansen’s hip injury.

“He claimed to be injured when we traded for him, so we had him see the doctors,” Briere said.

“They found an injury, so now he’s going to be rehabbing. You can’t send down a player who’s injured, so he’s going to be doing rehab until … we don’t know when. That’s about all I can say at this time, or all that I have. So, he’s back on our roster doing rehab and trying to get better.”

Johansen, who was set to carry an $8 million salary cap hit for the 2024-25 season, would have become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Last season, he posted 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 63 games with Colorado. Over his career, he has amassed 578 points (202 goals, 376 assists) in 905 games with the Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Avalanche. Columbus drafted Johansen fourth overall in 2010.

According to The Athletic, Johansen has 60 days to decide whether to file a grievance over the contract termination with the NHL Players Association, a move that he is reportedly likely to pursue.